Aspiration

Aspiration by artist Dennis Haugh is located on the exterior of what was formerly the Samuel H. Daroff Public School in the the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Inspiration for this mural came from the work of Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglas widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished and influential visual artists of the time. Douglas was known for his use of a soft palette and silhouettes to tell allegorical stories. In this mural, Haugh had students pose for the figures in the central mural based off of caryatids, the sculpted human forms that act as structural supports in architecture like Philadelphia’s City Hall. Each of the six figures represents a different pillar of education at the school: respect, hope, justice, knowledge, health, and peace.

The second wall of this mural shows more student silhouettes and architectural caryatids with a central student figure fully painted in holding an open book in front of the earth. Above this student floats the Philadelphia skyline.

Location Note: These murals are located at a school and may not be accessible for public viewing.